Automatic shocker



w. L. MEINK AUTOMATIC sHocxER Filed June 1e. 1924 4 sheets-sheet 1 FIG.

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W. L. MEINK AUTOMATIC sHocKER Filed June 16. 1924 Il Il 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 15, 1925.

I w. l.f MEINK AUTOMATIC SHOCKER Filed June 16. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

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Hifonics! Sept. l5, 1925.

w. LQMEINK` AUTOMATIC SIOCKERy -Filed June 16. 1924' -IIL I wm 090m@ Oi6M O MNM O A O .O wo o M, o mm z ./.J Z :mi JIM W www f mm 3 .RJ n* xbm o@ b v om. um E .I o @Y @lv 5 @sul Q Q Q! .law mw 0h a D IL 1056 fZzce .Menara Gttouusg Patented Sept. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES a y y1,553,706 PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM L. MEINKLDECEA'SED, LATE 0F LANE, SOUTH DAKOTA; BY ALICE J' MEINK,

VADINIINISTIRATRIX, OF LANE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

AUTOMATIC snocxER.

Application led June 16, 1924. Serial No. 720,387.

To all 'whom t may concern.

Be it known that WILHELM L. MEINE, deceased, late a citizen of the United States, and resident of Lane, in the county of Jerauld and State of South Dakota, did invent new and useful Improvement-s in Automatic Shocker-s, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relatesto automatic ebookers, and aims to provide a novel and 'improved mechanism for receiving the sheaves discharged from a reaper or binder and for automatically shocking the sheaves, to eliminate the manual work in gathering 1The Vsheaves togetherV and building up the shocks.

Another object is the provision of` such a mechanism having novel means for bringing the sheaves to erect position after being discharged from the binding platform of the reaper or binder, and a further object, in this connection, is the provision of novel means for feeding or moving the sheaves to a point where they arewgathered to form the shock. Y

A further object is the provision of a novel shock forming and binding means, whereby the sheaves are gathered together and formed into a compact shock, and are bound together` by a cord or twine embracing the shock. Y

A still further object is .the provision of automatic means for completing and bindingtheshock after a predetermined number of sheaves are gathered together in the'shock forming means, so that the shocks will be of uniform size, as well as being completed without manual attention.

It is also an object of the invention to improve the mechanism generally in its construction and details, to enhance the utility and efficiency thereof.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention isillust-rated in the accompanying drawings, whereinq Figure 1 is a plan view of the automatic shocker, portions being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of theV shocker.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, porf tions being shown in section, and showing the parts in a different position than as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the actuating -means. f

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the shocker as attached to a binder.

In carrying out the invention the shocker is attached to the reaper kor binder at the discharge side thereof, and comprises a platform 11 rigidly secured to the frame 12 of the binder below the delivery edge of the binding platform 13 of the binder. Said platform 11 `is yspaced sufficiently above the ground to be kept out of contact therewith.

-The sheaves, when bound on the platform 13 and discharged, fall from the edge of the platform in horizontal position longitudinally of the machine, with their butts forward, as usual. Y. f

The shocker has means for arighting the sheaves on the platform 11 and feeding or moving the sheaves to the shock forming means (described in detail hereinafter). Thus, a cone 14 is mounted for rotation above the platform 11 beyond the discharge or delivery edge of the platform 13, and is secured on a vertical shaft 15 journaled in the platform 11. Said cone 14 has a plu.- rality of sets of vertically spaced arms 16 for catching the sheaves and moving same outwardly away from the platform 13 and rearwardly, as .will hereinafter more fully appear. y

The sheaves are guided rearwardly from the cone 1li to the shock forming means in a passage-way defined between the outer and inner vertically spaced guiderods 17 and 18, respectively. The rods 17 are curved inwardly at their forward terminals toward the forward edge of the `platform 13, and

their forward ends are secured to a post 19 carried by the platform 11 in front of the cone let. The rear ends of the rods 17 and 18 aresecured t-o posts 20 andv 21, respectively, carried by the platform 11 at the rear end thereof. The rod 18 is formed with a bearing 22 receiving the upper terminal of the shaft 15, and said rod 18 'has a brace 23 extending from the shaft 15 to the platform 13 and secured, as at 24:, to said platform. The brace or portion 23 assists in steadying the shaft 15 and cone 14, and also provides a support or rest for the head of the sheaf which is discharged from the platform 13. rlhus, when the sheaf rolls from .the platform 13, the head thereof rolls over onto the portion of the rod'lS, while the but-t end of the sheaf can drop down on the platform. This will bring the sheaf to a rearwardly inclined position, so as fto partly bring the sheaf to upright position. 'lhe cone 1% rotates cloclr-wise,'as seenin F 1, so that the arms 1G move forwardly adjacent te the platform 13, to catch the sheaf and carry it outwardly in front of the cene and then rearwardly. rlhe sheaf `being talien hold of and moved with the ar lwill be brought to an upright position between the rods 17 and 1Q.

Spring guide rods 25 'are secured to the post 19 and extend outwardly.v an refirwardly along a curve line inwardly or the rods 17, and said rods 25 have the coils or loops 26, whereby the rods '25 can spring outwardly away from the cone 1+i. rlhe rods 25 are arranged to guide the sheaves as they are moved outwardly and rearwardly with the cone, said rods being yieldab'le and hold the sheaves against the :ione ander slight pressure, to prevent the sheaves being thrown away from the cone.

From the cone 14- the sheaves are fed or delivered rearwardly between the postsy 2O and 21 to the shock forming means, and an oscillatory feeder 27 is provided, which constitutes a lever and which upper and lower prongs or tines to engage the sheaves. The feeder or feeding lever 27 has its inner end pivoted to a link 28 which is in turn pivoted to a bracket 29 secured to the post 21, thereby fulcruming the feeder for oscillatory and longitudinal movements to the frame of the shocker. rlhe feeder 27 is connected between its Y.nds with an npstanding crank E() carried by the shaft 31 jonrnaled in the platform 11, in order to give the feeder a forward and rearward oscillatory motion combined with an inward and outward movement. The shaft 31 and crank 30 rotate clock-wise as seen in Fig. 1, similar to the cone 11i and the feeder 27 is retracted in its rearmost position from the sheaf passage-way between the rods 17 and 1 8, and tlien, in sucmoved forwardly, projected ontcession, is

wardly to said passage-wayv across the sheaf,

and moved rearwardly to move the sheaf rearwardly with it between the posts 20 and 21. ln other words, starting with the feeder 27 in the position shown in Fig. 1, as the crank 30 continues to turn. clock-wise, the cranli 30 will move the feeder 27 inwardly, thereby retraeting the feeder from the passage-way between the guidey rods 17 yand 18, the link 28, permitting the feeder to be moved longitudinally of itself inwardly. Then, the c ank 30 moves forwardly, thereby swinging the feeder 27 forwardly, as

seen in Fig. 3, and the crank SO then moves outwardly so as to move the feeder 27' outwardly in front of a. shea-f that has been delivered between the rods 17 and 18 by the cone 1f. The crank 30 then moves rearwardly, so as to swing the feeder 27 rearwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1, causing the sheaf to niove with the feeder and to be delivered rearwardly between the posts 2O and 21, thus completing the cycle of movements of the feeder. Thus, the feeder is retracted .when moved forwardly and is projected to engage and move the sheaf when the feeder is moved rearwardly.

The shafts 15 and 31 are operated from the operating mechanism of the binder. Thus, a bevel gear wheel l2 is secured on the shaft 31 within the platform 11 (the platform being hollow), and a. bevel pinion 33 meshes with the gear wheel 32 and is secured on a shaft 311: journaled in bearings within the platform. Said shaft 31 is connected by a sprocket chain 35 with a shaft 36 of the binder, so that the shaft 3l is driven from the binder. r1`he shafts 15 and 31 are connected by a sprocket chain 37 passing around sprocket wheels 38 and 39 secured on the shafts 51 and 15, respectively, within the platform. rlhe sprocket wheel 39 is of larger diameter than the sprocket wheel 3S, whereby the feeder 27 makes a complete cycle of movement for each stop of rotation of the cone 1%, or for each set of arms 16. As shown, with three sets of arms 1G, the feeder 27 makes three complete cycles of movements for each revolution of the cone 1de.

i dog is provided for holding the sheaves against forward movement lafter being moved rearwardly between the p/osts 20 and 21 by the feeder 27. As shown, said dog comprises the vertically spaced arms i0 secured to a vertical shaft l1 journaled in the platform 11 and to a post 42 secured on the platform. Said post e2 can also serve as a support for the rods 17. rlhe arms 40 have outwardly extending portions slidable through the post 2O and curved about the shaft 41, as a center', thereby steadying the movement of the arms or dog 40. Springs lll connect the post 2O and outer terminals of the portions to move the arms or dog fr0 inwardly to closed position. l/Vhen a sheaf is carried Aby the feeder 27' rearwardly past the dog Zl0, said dog is forced outwardly by the sheaf, and when the sheaf is moved between the posts 20 and 21 beyond the dog, the springs if swing the. dog inwardly in front of the sheaf, wiereby theportions 43 prevent the sheaf from moving forwardly, thereby locking the sheaf in the shock forming means.

The shock forming means includes a shock supporting and dumping platform 4:5 which is hinged, as at 4G, to the rear end of the platform l1 so as to swing downwardly and upwardly from and to horizontal position, seen in Fig. Q. As shown, the platform 45 has prongs or teeth 47 extending from the rear edge thereof to facilitate the dumping of the shock from the platform when the platformr swings downwardly. The prongs or t( eth 47 also enable the platform 45 to move over theV stubble, by leaving a clearance between the rear et of the platform and the ground, even though the teeth or prongs 47 extend to the ground.

The shock forming means further includes -vertically spaced arms 48 secured to vertical shafts 51 journaled in bearings carried by the posts 20 and 2l for compressing the shock, by holding the sheaves together asv they are gathered to form the shock. The shafts 5l have arms 49 sutliciently high up to be disposed above the shcaves,and a spring connects the arms 49, to swing the arms 49 toward'one another, and thereby swing the arms 48 toward one another across the space between the posts 20 and 2l, as seen in Fig. 8, when theshock has been discharged. As the sheaves are delivered rearwardly between the posts 2O and 2l, which define the throat of the shock forming means, the arms 48 are swung rearwardly and outwardly away from one another, thereby stretching the spring 50, and the rearward and outward motion of the arms 48 is resisted by said spring, so that the sheaves which are moved between said arms are held together under spring pressure.

The means for raising and lowering the platform 45 includes a spring 52 connected to an upstanding arm 53 seciued tothe platform 45 and to an upstanding bracket 54 secured on. the platform ll, said spring raising the platform 45 and holding it in position to support the shock. A link-55 is connected to the arm and to an upstanding 4portion v5G of a lever 57 fulcruined inthe platform ll, whereby the lever 57 in being swung to shove the link 55 rearwardly, will swing the arm 53 rearwardly to swing the platform 45 downwardly to dumping positien. The top of the platform ll has a slot 58 in which the portion 56 moves.

Means is provided for binding the shock with cord or twine, and includes a needle 60 slidable transverselyr in a bracket 6l carried by the post 2l, whereby the needle can be projected across and retracted from the throat of the shock forming means or rear end of the passage-way between the guide rods 17 and 18. The cord or twine G2 passes through the eye of the needle and around the sheaves on the plat-form 45, said cord being unwound from a spool 63 carried by the bracket Gl or other suitable support. Thek needle 60 is retracted by a coiled spring 64 surroundingy the needle and confined between the bracket Gl and the inner end of the needle. lThe needlehas rack teeth (35 meshing with a pinion (36 secured on a vertical shaft 67 journaled in the plato forni ll and bracket 6l, whereby the needle is projected when the shaft 67 is rotated in the proper direction.

A knotter 68 of any suitable or well known kind is carried bythe post 20 to receive the needle GO, when projected, for tying the cord around the shock and cutting the cord. The details of the knetter are omitted, inasmuch as any well known knotter mechanism can be used. Yvllhen the band is tied around the shock, the band is released, and the terminal of the cord is held in the knetter while the needle .is retracted, so that the cord extends across the throatof the shock forming means, resulting in the cord being forced rearwardly by the sheaves to forma loop extending around the sheaves from the knotter to the needle, said needle being normally retracted, as seen in Fig; 3, during the formation of the shock. The knotter 68 is operated by a vertical shaft 69 journaled in the platform 1l.

The mechanism includes automatic actuating means for the needle, knotter and platform 45, so that the shock is automatically bound and discharged. Such actuating means includes a masterv wheel 70 mounted for rotation in the platform ll and having the geark teeth 71 to engage and rotate in successionthe pinions 72 and 73 which are operatively connected with the respective shafts 67 and 69. rllhe wheel 70 also carries a tappet pin 74 to contact with and swing the lever 57 after the gear teeth 7l have turned or rotated the pinion r73.

Thus, when the f wheel 70 is rotated (counter-clock-wiser as seen in Fig. the teeth 7l first rotate the pinion '72 to project the needle GO into the knotter 68; the teeth 7l then rotate thepinion 73 to operate the knetter 68; and the pin 74 then swings the lever 57 to depress the platform 45. Thus, the loop of the cord or twine G2 which ei;- tends around the shock is closed within the knetter and the cord tied to form the band embracing the shock, and the shock is then dumped from the platform 45 onto the ground by the downward swinging nievenient of said platform. Y i n The actuating means for the needle, knotter and platform 45 vis automatically controlled so that the shock is bonnd and discharged when a predetermined number of sheaves are delivered into the shock forming means. Thus, the oscillation of the dog 40 is used for determining the number of sheaves that are required to complete the shock.. A clutch member 75 is connected to a bevel pinion 76 engaging the gear wheel 32, so that said clutch member 75k is rotated during the operation of the shocker. A com-` the clutch.

panion clutch member 77 is slidable into and out of engagement withthe clutch member 75, and is connected by bevel gear wheels 78 with the master wheel 7 O, so that said master wheel is 'rotated when the clutch is closed. The clutch member 77 is shifted by a lever 7 9. A cam wheel 80 is mounted for rotation in the platform 11 and has the cams 81 for swinging a lever 82, which is fulcrumed at 83 within the platform 11, and a link 84 connects the levers 79 and 82. Vvfhen a cam 81 passes the lever 82, said lever 82 is svzfung to swing the lever 79 so as -to close The lever 82, when the clutch is closed, extends across the path of movement of the pin 74, so that when the wheel 7 O completes one revolution, the pin '74 will contact with and swing the lever 82, to open the clutch, thereby stoppin# the wheel 70. The cam wheel 8() is turned stepby step as the sh aves are delivered into the shock forming means. Thus, an arm 8G is secured to the shaft 41 within the platform 11 and has a pawl kpivoted thereto which engages a ratchet wheel 85 secured to the wheel 80. its shown, the ratchet wheel 85 has seven teeth for each cam 81, so that the shock is composed of seven sheaves, although more or less ratchet teeth can be used when the shocks are to contain more or less numbers of sheaves.

The operation of the shocker is as follows: 7W ith theshock forming means empty, as seen in Fig. 8, the arms 48 are swung forwardly across the throat of said shock forming means, and the needle G0 is retracted with the end of the cord 62 held in the knotter G8. The cord extends across the throat of the shock forming means from the knotter 68 to the needle GO. The platform 45 is held in raised position by the 'spring 52. Now, as the sheaves drop from the platform 13, their butt ends fall onthe platform 11, while the heads of the sheaves are supported by the port-ion 28, andthe sheaves are immediately taken by the arms 15 and moved to upright position between the guide rods 17 and 18, assisted by the guide rods 25. As soon asia sheaf is delivered by the arms 1G between the rods 17 and 18, as seen in Fig. the feeder 27 moves outwardly in front of the sheaf and then rearwardly, to move the sheaf rearwardly past the dog 40 and into the shock forming means. The sheaves are thus fed one at a time into the shock forming means, and each time a sheaf is moved into the shock forming means, the dog 40 is swung outwardly andthen inwardly, to holdthe sheaf in the shock forming means. Each time the dog 40 is oscil# lated, the pawl 85 advances the ratchet wheel 85 and cam wheel 80 one step. The cord S2 is forced rearwardly between the posts 2O and 21 by the sheaves so that the cord is formed into a loop surrounding the sieaves on the platform 45, and the sheaves also force the arms 48 rearwardly and outwardly, as the sheaves are gathered on said platform 45. The arms 48 being under spring influence, have a tendency to swing toward one another, thereby pressing the sheaves together. rEhe shock is thus built up as the sheaves are gathered on the platform 45 between the arms 48 and within the loop of the cord 62.

V7hen the predetermined number of sheaves are delivered into the shock forming means (seven as shown) the dog 40 having been oscillated seven times, will have advanced the ratchet wheel 85 and cam wheel 8O seven steps, so that the cam 81 swings the lever 82 to close the clutch, and the clutch member 77 being engaged with the clutch member 75, will result in the master wheel 70 being rotated from the operating means. The gear teeth 71 will first turn the pinion 72 and will then turn the pinion 7 3, so that the needle 60 is projected into the knetter 68 and the knetter operated to tie the band around the shock in the usual manner. The pin then swings the lever 57 to depress the platform 45 and discharge the shock onto the ground. The wheel 70 continues its movement and the pin 74 then swings the lever 82 Vso as to open the clutch, when the revolution of the wheel 70 has been completed, it being noted that when the lever 82 is swung by a cam 81 to close the clutch, said lever projects into 'the path of the pin 74. As soon as the teeth 71 leave the pinions and 7 8, the needle 60 is retracted by the spring 64, and the operation of the knetter 68 is stopped, and when 'the pin 74 leaves the lever k57, the spring 52 again raises the platform 45, so that the mechanism is again ready for the formation of the next shock. The arms 48 are also swung forwardly, as seen in Fig. 8, as soon as the shock is discharged from the platform 45 from between said arms 48.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A shocker attachment for a reaper or binder comprising a platform for receiving the sheaves from the reaper or binder, shock forming means, and means for feeding the sheaves to said means including a cone rotatable above the platform and having outstanding arms for catching the sheaves as they fall from the reaper or binder and for moving the sheaves to upright position.

2. A shocker attachment for a reaper or binder comprising a platform to receive the sheaves from the reaper or binder, shock forming means, guiding means in which the sheaves are movable to the shock forming means, and means for feeding the shocks along said guiding means into the shock forminghineans including a cone rotatable on the platform and having outstanding arms for catching the sheaves as they drop from the reaper or binder and for moving said sheaves into the guiding means in upright positon.

3. A shocker attachment for a reaper or binder comprising a platform to receive the sheaves from a reaper or binder, shock forming means, a cone rotatable on the plat form and having outstanding arms for catching the sheaves as they are delivered from the reaper or binder and for moving the sheaves to upright position, and a feeder operable for moving the sheaves from said cone into said means.

4. A shocker attachment for a reaper or binder comprising a platform, shock forming means, a rotatable member on the platform having outstanding arms for catching the sheaves delivered from the reaper or binder and moving them to a position on the platform, a feeder mounted above the platform for moving the sheaves from said position into said means, and actuating means for said member and feeder includ ing a crank connected to said feeder to oscillate the feeder between said member and means and to project and retract the feeder,` adjacent to said member and means, respectively.

5. A shocker attachment for a reaper or binder comprising a platform vfor receiving e the sheaves from the 1 reaper or binder,

shock formingl means, guiding means for the movement of the'sheaves to said `shock forming means, a rotatable member on the platform having outstanding arms for catching the sheaves as they are delivered from the reaper or binder and for moving the sheaves into the guiding means in upright position, a feeder mounted above the platform for oscillatory and longitudinal movements, and actuating means for said member and feeder including a crank connected to said feeder to oscillate the feeder between said member and shock forming means and to project and retract said feeder relatively to the guiding means adjacent to said member and shock forming means, respectively, so that said feeder moves the sheaves in the guiding means into the shock forming means. j

6. A shocker comprising shock forming means, a passage Way leading to sai-tl means, means for feeding sheaves in said passage way into said means, means in said passage way for retaining the sheaves in said shock forming means and movable out of the way by the sheaves when they are fed intosaid shock forming means, and automatic means for binding the shock in the shock forming means when said retainin@- means has been moved a predetermined number of times by the sheaves passing it.

7. A shocker comprising shock forming means, a passage way leading to said means, means for feeding sheaves in said passage way into said means, a dog in said passage way for retaining the sheaves in said means and movable out of the way by the sheaves when moved past said dog, and automatic means for binding the shock in said means when said dog has been moved a predetermined number of times by the sheaves passing it.

8. A shocker comprising aplatform, a

vshock supporting platform hingedly connected to the first named platform, a passage way for the sheaves above the first named platform leading tothe shock supporting platform, means for feeding the sheaves in said passage way onto the shock supporting platform, spring `influenced. arms supported at opposite sides of said passage way above the shock supporting platform to swing toward yone another so as to hold the sheaves together on the shock supporting platform, a reciprocatory needle supported at one side of the passage wayto be projected across the passage Way and through which a cord extends i to pass around the sheaves on the shock supporting platform, a knotter supported at the opposite side of the passage way for holding the end of the cord and for receiving the needle to tie the cord around the shock, and actuating means operable for projecting the needle into the knotter, for operating the knotter and for `swinging the shock supporting platform downwardly to dumping position. f

In testimony whereof I hereunto aihX my signature.

ALICE J. MEiNK, Admz'm'stmtm' of the Estate of W. L. Mez'nc, deceased. 

